


Future's End

by Scephity



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Betrayal, Danger, Drama, Drugs, Dystopian, Eventual Romance, Extinction, F/M, Government Conspiracy, Science Fiction, Time perception
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:53:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29379507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scephity/pseuds/Scephity
Summary: The world has gone dark, and to Helen, it's the only world she knows. Following the effects of a devastating event known as The Deafening, Helen Palmer is left to fend for herself among a small town community. However, upon finding a dying man in the bushes, she realizes that the world is not as it seems. Conspiracies and truth run hand in hand, and it's up to her to find out the truth behind her world, before time runs out...
Relationships: Helen Palmer/Aidan Douglas
Kudos: 3





	1. A Sickly Tree

**_Chapter 1_ **

_ Thwock _

"No."

_ Twhock _

"No."

_ Twhock _

"No!"

After the third try, I decided it was time to give it a rest. My current record stood at twenty hits in a row, but I couldn't even manage five today. I sighed, and went to retrieve my knife at the base of the tree. The trunk was scarred from the years spent perfecting my throw, but I suppose I was a little distracted. Everything was feeling off today, I guess. Stupid TinCan. I hated going there. I grabbed my knife from the ground and returned to my backpack, about 15 feet away. I angrily sheathed my knife in the clip at my waist, and unzipped the top portion of my backpack. Inside was a lighter, a pack of cigarettes, and some crumpled paper from past reminders. I grabbed the lighter and a cigarette from the pack, inhaling deeply as I lit it. The smoke drifted lazily through the leaves above as I breathed in the toxic stuff.   
  
I gave a small cough of satisfaction.

My mind returned to the TinCan. Wild place. It’s a large factory that stands on an incline, rusting here and there from nearly a decade of inactivity. It contained our town’s supply of food, canned stuff mostly. Crates and crates of beans, tomatoes, soup, other bland stuff. The Deafening was to blame for that. For the people, the silence, the regression. I would have loved to have perused a “grocery store”, aisles filled with things that weren’t cans. God, I hated cans. However, they were all looted, in the blink of an eye. The stores, I mean. I’ve never seen a stocked store before. I wonder what it looked like, seeing things such as milk, bread, jam, butter, candy, chips, soda…   
  
My stomach gave a small growl. The cigarette wasn’t helping on an empty stomach. I flicked the ashes of the butt and dropped it, smooshing the glowing cinders under my faded sneakers. The backdoor to the TinCan had been busted open to access the area inside containing the crates. Unfortunately, quite a few thugs crept around the area, generally being annoying as they attempted to intimidate people. There wasn’t any need to steal food, but they tried demanding various items, whether it be weapons or everyday supplies. 

I had just returned from there. Dropped off near my tree to get rid of some anger. Stupid asses, thinking they can get off on me. It was times like this I wish I travelled with somebody else. Maybe they’d leave me alone without some snide remark about my chest, or my butt, or my eyes. I get it. You want sex. Piss off.   
  
I always felt better when I saw Aidan. Maybe I’d give him a visit. I’d already been planning to when he told me he had recently found an old chess set belonging to his older brother. He didn’t talk much about his family, but he could rave for hours about the ventures of his older sibling. He had loved him a lot, I could tell. Yet, when The Deafening came and went, his brother was lost to the riots and gangs running free in the chaos.    
  
“I wish I could remember him more clearly,” Aidan said, “but all I can remember is him going out to protect our house and never coming back inside. He told me he would come back, Helen. Why didn’t he come back?” This was usually when he began to cry, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him his brother has probably been dead for a long time now, probably shot somewhere and lost among many others that day.   
  
When Aidan found the chess set, he told me it was like finding a piece of his brother. I tried to understand, but really couldn't. How do you find a piece of someone in an object? It didn’t really make much sense. Besides, the only reason I would want to play chess would be to escape heading home. Anything to avoid the Residents. Anything. With a shake of my head I cleared my mind. Aidan’s house it was.   
  
I packed away my lighter and shrugged on my backpack. The trek back to town usually took about half an hour; twenty minutes if I was feeling well enough for a light jog. With the weight of the food in my pack though, I felt like being leisurely today. I whistled as I walked my way through the pines, a tune that seemed to change every time. I glanced back every now and then at the scarred tree I frequented to.    
  
“See you tomorrow,” I said under my breath.

It was beginning to turn into fall, and I found myself enjoying the clear sky and fresh breeze that was almost like a whisper, fading to near nothingness before returning as a chill up my spine. Fall was just...perfect. Cool, but not harshly cold, and fires felt the most comfortable with the evening chill.   
  
As I walked, I began thinking about fire. Nights spent huddled by their warmth, cooking food, falling asleep under the stars as they dimmed to embers. Suddenly, I heard a loud crack. I stopped walking. At first I was confused, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I intently focused, wondering if what I’d heard was real or not. The crack came again, louder and more violent. I looked around wildly, my anxiety skyrocketing. A gun. Guns were hard to come by, and the sound was never welcome. I’d only heard two in my life, and both were large events for the community. A murder-suicide, both men lethally wounded.    
  
I heard another off to my left. Then to my right. Then in front of me, and then behind me. They began to multiply until it sounded like guns were being fired from everywhere. In the trees, the ground, the air. A squirrel came to a stop in front of me, and when it opened its mouth to make a sound, all I heard was another loud crack. I screamed and fell backwards onto the ground. I covered my ears and squeezed my eyes closed, yelling to drown out the deafening noise.

I saw the lights going out in my house, I heard my screams of terror, wailing for my Residents. I was afraid. Fire could be seen outside my bedroom window, rising into the sky like a large candle toward the heavens. I went stumbling to their room just in time to see them. Right in front me, and they were happy and alive, and they swallowed. They. Swallowed. Their bodies went slack, eyes rolling into their heads, collapsing onto the ground in front of me. Mouths spasming, signing gibberish before finally coming to a close.

I forced myself back to reality, sweating and breathing hard, collapsed on the ground. I don’t know why this happened, these random flashbacks, these horrifying memories that were like nightmares but came at any given time. The older kid up my street, a guy named Tommy, said it was something called PTSD. I don’t know what it stands for, but I apparently have it. I slowly stood up, gingerly brushing off the dust and pine needles.   
  
My forehead was covered in sweat, and my palms felt slick and rubbery. I sat down for a minute, drinking some water from my pack and dabbing at my sweaty face with my shirt. At least no one was around to see this. It happened only once in front of Aidan, and I made him swear. Swear never to speak of it, mention it, even think about it. I hate pity. I hate seeing it, hearing it, tasting it, smelling it. I hate it.

_ No,  _ I said to myself.  _ It’s not pity you hate; it’s weakness you hate. And you are NOT weak.  _ I am not weak. I stood up and quickly put away my flask containing the water. I trekked on. Weakness. Weakness was for the other girls. The ones who never left town. The ones who went in and out of boys houses, carrying food and toilet paper as compensation for their intimacy, their artificial love, smiling all the way. That was weakness. It was sickening to see some no older than ten being taught the ways of seduction, just to avoid going to the TinCan for supplies. I continued walking. I felt my feet take steps autonomously, staying on the weed-ridden trail with confidence. My body carried on, and I was free to daydream.    
  
It couldn't have been long before I stopped. My feet had delayed and had come to a slow pace before I’d neared the town. Confused, I looked around. Seeing nothing of interest, I began on my way again when I heard the rustle. Nothing blaringly loud, but loud enough to make me hesitant. I glanced around at the shrubs and trees, feeling vulnerable. My hand slowly crept to the knife at my belt. Silence continued, minutes passed by with no discernible sound. I was about to continue when the sound came again.    
  
It was louder this time, and my head snapped towards the source, focusing in on an inconspicuous bush. I slowly began to approach, thinking it was a squirrel or large bird. I crept on the soles of my feet, attempting a stealthy approach.   
  
As I neared the bush, a twig snapped under my feet.    
  
The rustling grew louder, reacting to the noise. I began to hear grunting sounds, and I immediately thought back to the men at the TinCan. Eyeing my every movement, hooting and hollering at my appearance, and I began to sweat as my imagination went wild. The bush rustled even more violently and I took a small step back. Then another. I continued backing up as the bush shook more than ever. I saw something begin to emerge, something tattered, something way larger than any bird or squirrel.   
  
I remembered an event a year ago, being chased away from the TinCan into the woods by the men, hollering after me, “Hey, gorgeous, run as fast as you like, we all want a damn piece of that!” Laughter ensued as they continued to chase on, weaving between trees to catch up. The hot breath from their rotting mouths, the beads of sweat evaporating in the cool air, my own fatigue catching up with me...

I felt my feet pick up the pace, running away from the bush, running away from the memories, carrying me to safety. Thoughts of pursuit filled my mind, and I began to run even more swiftly, hearing the footsteps gaining behind me. I didn’t slow down until I had reached the outskirts of the small town. I looked back, breathing heavily, prepared to fight. My hand was quick, snatching the blade as I twirled around to face my enemy. Seconds passed, and my breathing hiccuped as I looked around. I was confused to only see a clear trail from where I came, hearing only the birds above tweeting away. The footsteps, they had sounded so real, so close...    
  
I struggled to regain my breath, smoking was definitely having its drawbacks. With a few large breaths and some hacking, I recovered slightly. I looked towards the empty streets and buildings, and with one final glance behind me, began my walk over to Aidan’s. Or maybe I wasn’t. My brain was playing a lot of dirty tricks on me today.   



	2. Pawns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I said I was going to wait a week to publish the next chapter, but I couldn't resist! I recently made this account so I'm purposely with-holding finished sections of the story to create anticipation. I never thought I'd be the most anxious of all to continue releasing chapters! As a show of weakness, you guys can have this next one on me. BUT! After this I'm 100% waiting a week you nuggets. I hope you enjoy!

**_Chapter 2_ **

The town wasn’t very big, thank God. It was large enough for there to be a comfortable distance from unsavory people but small enough to travel with ease. It was one of those rare places where you knew everyone, but could still manage to avoid those you wanted nothing to do with. However, this didn’t stop the occasional violent encounter, usually from opposing gangs or those who owed supplies or weapons to a larger faction.

I turned onto Benson Street, one that had been filled with shops galore before The Deafening. They stood in rows, shattered windows here and there, with decaying foundations. I glanced at my reflection as I passed by shards of glass melded to the wooden frames. Within the few glimpses of my face, I was reminded of what the world saw as I traversed the town. Clumped blonde hair, matted with several days worth of dirt and grease from past fires. Slightly tanned skin from the long days spent outdoors, eyes that shone with the saddest blue.    
  
It was always the eyes I stopped at. I could care less about the teeth, the chin, ears, cheeks, acne, to hell with all that. The eyes looked too sad, no matter how many times I willed the reflection to change, I was always sorely met by a despairing glance through those moments of clarity. I stopped outside a shop with pillars that had a red and white design swirling downwards. The windows, like all the others, were smashed in, and broken glass lay on the pavement, both inside and out.    
  
I went through the door-less entryway and made my way into the shop through the growing darkness, stumbling around until arriving at the back counter. I bent down and, after some shuffling, removed a false wooden panel from the bottom shelf nearest the floor.    
  
Months ago, during a random exploration of the deserted buildings littered across town, I had stumbled into this parlor, or what Tommy called a “barber’s shop”. After some snooping around, I had found that the back counter had a bottom shelf with an open cavity beneath it. Deciding that it was the best place to store my special items, I went to work with a hatchet, and created a custom board to slot over the empty space so as to hide my goodies. After making sure it fit, shaving it a few times to get it just the right size, I assembled my most valuable items and stored it underneath the false board in a pouch.    
  
I withdrew the pouch containing the items, and plunged my hand inside to search for one in particular. The pouch held a custom knife with fancy curves and designs, a silver pocket watch, a family photograph, some batteries, and the holy grail of them all, a few pieces of candy. My hand found one of the pieces, and withdrew quickly. I was about to pull the strings to seal the bag, but I felt my hand dip in once again and slowly pull out the photograph.    
  
It was of me and my Residents, and we were celebrating my birthday apparently, as it read on the back of the card. There was a cake with candles on it, and I was blowing them out as my Residents laughed with joy. As always, my gaze turned towards my eyes. They were a shallow blue, and carried a look of joy rather than emptiness as they did now. It was almost as if I were looking at a stranger, no more familiar to me than the random passerby I’d give a quiet nod to. I yanked my eyes from the photograph, and put it gently back into place. Pulling the strings tight, the pouch closed and I swiftly returned it to its place. I glanced at the piece of candy in my palm before shoving it deep in my pocket. I thought today that I’d bring Aidan some, seeing as it was a special occasion and all that with him finding his brother’s chess set.    
  
I gently placed the board over the cavity and calmly walked out of the store, blinking rapidly as my eyes adjusted once again to the evening sunlight. I continued on down the road at a steady pace, passing from the shops to the apartments that became numerous near the end of the road. They stood tall and empty, for the most part. Although housing was ample, some preferred to stay where they were, content with their living situation, such as myself.    
  
_ Don’t start thinking about home,  _ my mind cried out feebly.    
  
I banished my line of thinking quickly in favor of imagining Aidan’s excitement to the piece of candy, and curiosity as to what the chess set looked like. My mind roamed as my feet took their steps independently, one foot after another, making turns and stepping in a hypnotic rhythm. It wasn’t until I turned onto his street that my mind began to wake up once more, taking in the houses surrounding me until I arrived at his.   
  
It was generic, in a sense. Wide lawn, a central concrete pathway leading to oak stairs that ascended to his front door. The house itself was three stories, made of a rich dark wood, and was spacious on the inside as much as it was on the outside. As I walked down the pathway, I glanced at his bike, chained to the metal fence that led to the driveway. Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief. It had taken me months to force the habit upon him to lock his bike after the first got stolen. Too many times would I come over to visit and see his bike lying on its side, begging to be taken by anyone who passed by.   
  
I ascended the stairs, and with each step they gave a hollow groan, complaining against my figure as I walked onto the deck and gave a loud knock. I waited silently as I heard the knock echo throughout the house. I knew it would be a second before I hear-

“Helen!” came the reply from behind the door.   
  
In spite of myself, I smiled. As much as I hated people, he had a way of undoing my introverted attitude. I guess that’s why we were such good friends.   
  
The door was suddenly thrown open, and I found myself in a bear hug, the breath escaping from my mouth as my lungs were crushed. After a few seconds of shock, I hesitantly returned the hug. Aidan knew I didn’t like hugs, but apparently he was feeling bold today.   
  
“I’ve been waiting to show you this all day! What took you so long?” he said.

“Well,” I lied. “You know me. Target practice always comes first dude, you know that.”   
  
He rolled his eyes sarcastically.   
  
“Oh of course, Ms. Predator. How terrible of me to take you away from your boyfriend, ‘the tree’.”   
  
I shoved him playfully away as I walked into the house.   
  
“Hey,” he yelled.   
  
“Shoes off!”   
  
What a dumb rule. This kid was an absolute neat freak. Every visitor that came over had to take off their shoes at the front door, because he was always worrying about tracking mud and dirt. So what? A little filth never hurt anyone. At least, I think so. As much as I hated it, I took them off and laid them messily by the side of the door.   
  
After walking a bit more into the house, he followed suit behind me, closing the front door and removing his shoes. As he was untying the laces on his shoe, he said, “So, you slick anyone today?”   
  
He always asked that in such an irritating, hopeful tone. I gave a forced laugh before responding.   
  
“No, not today, but I can change that for you if you wish.”   
  
I gave a slight tug on the sheathed knife at my hip. He merely looked up and scoffed.    
  
“Alright Rambo, cool it. The chess set is upstairs, go on ahead and I’ll be right with you.”   
  
I gave him a confused look before asking, “Who’s Rambo?”   
  
He gave a long sigh and just shook his head. After sighing myself, I made my way up the staircase at the end of the hall. Aidan was always making some dumb obscure reference. He knew it got on my nerves, but then again, he was always finding new ways to make me tick. Whatever. He knew I loved him for it. Bastard.   
  
I took the last step and stood at the end of another hall leading to three rooms. The first one on the right led to a small bathroom, the second on the left led to a small room with a pool table, broken tv, and a giant box that said “Galaga”. I’m sorry, an  _ arcade machine  _ that said “Galaga”. Why did he have to be such a damn know-it-all?   
  
The final room was his bedroom. He had posters of dudes with instruments posing in front of strobe lights, knick-knacks of various objects and characters, a decently sized closet filled with his clothes, a desk where he would write stories he made up, and finally, a new addition to the room. As I walked in, I noticed he had dragged a table up the stairs and set it up in the middle of the room. On top of it stood the dusty chess set, the black and white pieces sparkling as the daylight came in through a large window on the side wall of the room.   
  
I was still staring at it when he came in behind me, treading softly.    
  
“Boo!” he yelled.

I gave a short shriek and whipped out my knife, pointing it at his chest. He froze, giving me a wary look until I let out a held breath and sheathed it once more.   
  
“You have problems, anyone mention that?” he said snarkily.   
  
I gave a spiteful scoff. “The people who’ve mentioned it are nice and slicked. Now, why don’t you tell me how to play this game before I replace the tree with your head.”   
  
Aidan gave a slight laugh at the threat. “Cheating on your boyfriend so quickly? I feel honored.” He clucked his disapproval, playfully wagging his finger side to side.

“Well,” he continued. “Take a seat already. Let’s hope you learn as fast as you throw a knife.”   
  
I pulled out the chair facing the black pieces and sat down. He took the seat opposite of mine, and slowly picked up one of the white pieces, the one wearing a crown. As he began to talk, his eyes grew misty, as if he were repeating words told to him by someone else. I pretended not to notice the silent tear that trickled down his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is neutral for me, but I believe it establishes everything exactly as it should. If you liked it, or think it could be improved, I urge you to comment your opinion! I don't mind criticism of any kind haha!


	3. Residents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I really hope you like this chapter, and I am so, so very sorry it took so long to get this out! It's been done for quite a while, but in between juggling school and other priorities, it completely slipped my mind! I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and I promise the next one will be out much much sooner!

**Chapter 3  
**

He beat me, nine times. Nine. Times. The first few were spent getting the hang of the rules, learning what each piece was called, and the actions each could take. The next few games after that, I did my best to employ “strategy”. No matter what I did, or what move I made, this kid was seemingly ten steps ahead, setting traps around every corner.    
  
If I moved a pawn to protect my queen, he’d swipe with a rook I hadn’t seen and eliminate any chance of escape. The rest of his pieces he’d utilize to hunt my king, of which I wildly moved around the board until the inevitable eventually happened. At least, that was how one of the games played out.    
  
“What happens if the players can’t beat each other?” I asked at the beginning.   
  
Aidan laughed and gave me a small wink. “Well, you’re feeling pretty hopeful, aren’t you? If the players are somehow equal and cannot best the other, a stalemate is called. It means both players can’t win, and agree to tie.”   
  
After I had lost my final game, my temper flew out the window. I stood up and took my knife out in one fluid motion. I lunged forward and nearly stabbed his precious board.   
  
“No!” Aidan screamed, violently stepping between me and the board. My knife stopped an inch from his torn face. As quickly as my anger had come, it subsided. With effort, I put it away, and forced a grin on my face.    
  
“Congratulations, you win,  _ again _ . Here’s your goddamn prize,” I seethed through set teeth.   
  
I dug in my pocket for a second before throwing a piece of candy his way. The label said it was something called a tootsie roll, whatever that was. As soon as he saw it, his whole face brightened, and he pounced on it. He hastily undid the wrapping, but gently removed the candy from the now crumpled wrapper. He held it up to the sunlight and let it sit in his hand, examining it before popping half into his mouth.   
  
“You know,” he said as he chewed. “Although you’re an asshole sometimes when it comes to games, I can always depend on you to provide me with my rightly deserved prize.” He said the last bit teasingly, flashing a toothy smile slightly covered in a dark film from the chocolate. **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Break off a corner for me.” I didn’t usually eat candy, but I needed to nurse my hurt pride after getting my ass handed to me. For once, I’d love to pick a game and beat him at it. Just to see how quickly his face drained of smug satisfaction.

He gave me a corner, and the more I chewed, the angrier I became. I stood up testily, snatched my pack from beside my chair, and made my way out of the room.

“Hey,” he called after me. “Where are you going!?”   
  
“Home.” I replied.   
  
My tone of voice suggested to him that now was the time to leave me alone. He didn’t follow me as I descended the stairs, hastily put my shoes on, and practically trampled the steps down to the lawn. I took one final glance back at the house, and saw his face staring at me through an upper window. I waved goodbye, and in response he gave me the finger. I laughed and turned the street.   
  
Evening had turned into dusk, and sunlight was fading fast. Although I didn’t fear the dark, it wasn’t a good idea to be out too late. The night junkies came out from their hidey holes, and most were usually crazed enough to slick someone for supplies. I turned right off Aidan’s street and walked straight. Our houses were relatively close, no farther than a mile or two. If I kept a good pace, I’d be home within twenty minutes.

With the sun dipping below the horizon, the usual nightly chill was fast-acting. I began to shiver uncontrollably, pulling my hands in towards my chest and rubbing them furiously.  _ On second thought, maybe summer is a better season,  _ I thought. Perhaps I’d start a fire in the backyard, warm myself up a bit. However, a quick flashback to my panic attack only a few hours ago expelled the thought instantly. I could live with cold, cold was manageable.

I continued my lonely walk down the empty street, littered with deep cracks and garbage. No one bothers cleaning out the trash cans, so it became normal to just throw your trash anywhere you liked. Hell, I wasn’t innocent by a long shot. I’d collect trash over a week in a bag, and when full, would take it to the main street and just dump it out. I’d rather a clean house than a trash-filled street.

...Maybe Aidan wasn’t such a neat freak after all.   
  
I continued on against the cold, shivering incessantly until my house popped into view, situated behind a larger building. It wasn’t nearly as large as Aidan’s was, but it was cozy and familiar. I preemptively searched a small pocket of my backpack until my numb hand fumbled upon a small metallic object. I took the key out and held it firmly as I neared my front door. The house wasn’t anything grand or fancy, or as Aidan would say, “It ain’t spiffin’!”   
  
I laughed as I opened the door, chuckling still as I hung the keys on a hook to my right and shut the door, throwing the deadbolt. I turned around into the house and walked to the living room, where my semi-chuckling was caught in my throat by the sight of  _ them. _ They. It. Inhuman. Residents.    
  
Residents. Not parents. Not mother. Father. Mom. Dad. Just Residents. They could never be what they were before, and even if they could, I’d be damned if I forgave them. I suppose it all started with that damn pill. From what the older members in the community relate, it all began with something called TE-01. TE-01 is sinister. It is deadly. It is hell incarnate and the product of an evil incomprehensible. TE-01 is a pill. A pill, no bigger than a dime. And it brought a society to its knees and left it in shambles.   
  
Apparently, there used to be these special buildings called “hospices”. If you were dying, you went to one of these places and lived out your remaining days in comfort. This was normal, it was a system that worked. Then, from seemingly nowhere, a small pharma - ehm - pharmaceutical company, that is, began releasing TE-01 for the private consumption of those in hospice care.    
  
So, here’s where things get bad. The pill, once taken, causes a drowsy effect, and you find yourself asleep in minutes. Once asleep, you stay asleep. The brain then begins producing all these chemicals and stuff that makes you happy and feel good, so it’s like a happy death. The formerly depressed patients got to skip all the bad parts such as a grieving family and realization of their own mortal coil, and just happily sleep through it all until they died, with no awareness between life and death. Terrible, right? It gets worse.   
  
Again, normalcy was maintained. It was declared a revolution in medicine. Families were pacified by the prospect of a painless death, the practice itself was modified and became more efficient since the patients no longer required excessive treatment beyond basic fluids to keep them alive until their bodies naturally shut down. That is, until the same company was granted permission by this group of people called the government to release it  _ everywhere _ . Everywhere. Stores, small shops, big shops, stands, etc. And it wasn’t just my place. It was released around the entire Earth, by every government, all within a time span of a month. Social media challenges. Dares. Bets. All of it leading to a downward spiral of humanity. Beloved sons and daughters filming their last moments of consciousness before they went into the deep sleep.   
  
Heart-broken mothers and fathers taking the pills themselves, falling under into the happy sleep. Suicide. Hundreds turned into thousands. Thousands to hundreds of thousands. Hundreds of thousands to millions. No one quite knows how many people died during The Deafening, but it sometimes feels like we’re the last people left in the world. Our community rests as a haven of the remaining human race, seemingly. 

That night...I saw my Residents. The last time. They sat on the bed next to each other, staring lovingly into tearful eyes, and then they each popped a pill into their mouths. A pill no bigger than a dime. I had padded in, scared of the fires and gunshots and explosions outside, yet they ignored my cries. They ignored my tears and my pain. They fell asleep happy, ignorant, no longer needing a child, no longer needing me. They were leaving this world of pain for one filled with happiness. The long sleep.   
  
A lifetime was too long sometimes. Too long. However, I cared for them. I fed them, I bathed them, and I did everything for them. Hoping. Hoping to see a twitch, a flicker, a  _ sign.  _ They remained asleep. Gradually, my hopes died away, and it became more a habit than a willful obligation. Other kids around town simply let their Residents die. Dehydration, something called dysentery, and starvation.    
  
Of course, the dead bodies began to present a problem when there wasn’t a place to put them. Now, when a Resident dies, we pad ourselves to the older community members and they prepare a small stretcher. They proceed to carry out the body and take it to Ditch Ditch. Ditch Ditch is exactly what it sounds like. A mile or so away from the outskirts of our town is a large ditch, and the bodies are left there to rot away. Ditch the baggage in the ditch.    
Funny, right?   
  
I snapped myself back to reality. No more reminiscing. I wouldn’t want to waste my energy thinking about them. Never, them. I walked toward my Residents and began the process. Open can of baked beans. Spoon feed each half the can. Throw can into large garbage bag. Wipe mouths. Give each half a water bottle dripped slowly. Wipe mouths again. Arrange sheets. Undress them. Remove dirty diapers, if dirty. Change with fresh diapers. Dress them again. This was only a small part of my duties. I have a morning checklist, a midday checklist, and a night time checklist. Three times a day I have to cater to them, no more. I do not spend my time looking at them, talking to them, or genuinely caring for them. It’s robotic, and I do not mind.   
  
After handling them, I then take care of myself. Brush hair. Wash out teeth. Use bathroom. Undress. Make bed. Extinguish candle, and sleep. This is life. I do not mind. I do not mind at all. This is ok, this is alright.   
  
...but sometimes, just sometimes, I do mind.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to mention that this book is incredibly hard to write. I'll type up a couple paragraphs for a chapter, and then immediately dash them all because I think it sucks lol! Anyways, I'll attempt to keep the self-loathing to a minimum, and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next one will be coming soon, so be on the lookout for that!

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work-in progress, and will be for awhile! I'll do my very best to release a chapter once a week, but it may end up being more like once every 2 weeks. If you like what you read, or even have your own conspiracies and predictions, feel free to comment them!


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